Cocktails with Alexis Mabille at the Cointreau Privé, Paris

This week we fled to Paris for cocktails with couturier Alexis Mabille at the exclusive Cointreau Privé. Arriving in a very wet and very rainy Paris wasn’t the best start, but after checking into the four star Eleysees Regencia hotel, we were ready for a night of cocktail making.

The Cointreau Privv Paris has very different feel to the London version we visited last year for cocktails with Dita Von Teese, taking on the form of a bohemian jazz lounge, complete with mismatched furniture and odd trinkets. It’s a world away from its glitzy London counterpart, but this is due to the change in designer – Dita fashioned the London speakeasy to match her own 1940s style house, while Alexis Mabille, formerly of Dior, has gone for something completely different.

“I wanted people to be able to come down here and feel like it’s been here forever, but also not know what era it’s from,” he said. “It could be the twenties, forties or fifties.” Wallpaper covered in trees, contrast with rich hand painted curtains, all of which Alexis hand-picked creating the perfect eclectic feel. It was even Alexis’ venue of choice for his Paris Fashion Week after party.

One feature just as attractive as the décor is the cocktail menu. Of course, Cointreau dominates the pricey list , but the variety and innovation justifies the cost. Alexis’ signature cocktail the Cointreau Privé (which he tells us is the best seller before ordering us a table full) is made up of Cointreau, champagne and strawberry juice, all thrown over ice, sprinkled with hot spices and accessorised with one of the couturier’s trademark bows.

All that’s left to do is enjoy the music, also curated by creative director Alexis, which alternates between Justin Timberlake and George Michael. The two differently decorated lounges, one given a dark masculine feel and the other a regal feminine look, allow revellers to sit and drink in peace or to cut some shapes on the makeshift dance floor. The Cointreau Privé Paris is perfect for a wild night out or a quick catch up with friends, either way, we could come here every week.